We are always asking and searching for answers on how to be happy. Aristotle once said, "We are what we repeatedly do. Happiness then is not an act but a habit."
If you want to be happy and stay happy you need to remember you have to work at it. Work at being happy? Yes. Everything worth having needs effort from you. That includes happiness.
How to be happy and stay that way? Well, by constantly practicing being happy. Learn from your mistakes, adjust and work at it again. I liken the pursuit of happiness to a series of continuous short races that never ends.
It's hard work, but if you have the wisdom to see how it all adds up, you may just find your nirvana or heaven, whichever the case maybe.
If you want to be happy and to stay happy, you need to cultivate. That means see yourself nurturing the habits that brings happiness to you. You may not succeed everyday in doing it, but this pursuit of perfection is what will contribute bit by bit you being happy and staying that way.
Here's how to be happy and stay happy in your life.
Giving
Here we are not just talking about charity. Giving involves a lot more. It means giving up bad habits. What are the bad habits that bring you stress? Give up on these habits. Are you disorganized? Being disorganized in all aspects of your life may deprive you a lot of happiness you are seeking. Once you learn to give up bad habits you will gradually become happier.
Ever considered giving in? Do you hold on to opinions that you hide as principles and are too egoistic to let go? Give in... winning an argument is not always necessary. You do not always need to be the car in front in a traffic jam. You will soon learn when you give in; you do not lose but stand more to gain.
Give out, yes by this it means charity. Help someone in need and do not judge who is worthy of your help. Help a rich person who is in need. Sometimes people think there are people unworthy of our help. The practice of giving to gain happiness is one that helps us learn about detachment.
Think, Say, And Do
In all that you think, say and do. Make sure there are as congruent as possible. A lot of times, what you preach to people and what you practice is different. When what you think, feel and do is not in line you will not find happiness. Even if you do, it will not stay that way.
Think good thoughts. Do not scheme behind people's back and think good of people. Think how you can help people rather than plot for selfish goals. Avoid telling lies, gossiping, and harsh speech. The Chinese have a saying that, loosely translated, says, "Sickness comes in through the mouth, trouble come out from the mouth." It means we become sick from the things we ingest and we get into trouble with the things we say.
Ask yourself, do you speak the truth? Do you speak gently? Say things that will help others? And speak at a proper time and place? Do good things and be of good conduct. It can be as simple as not getting intoxicated, being organized, not procrastinating or even waking up early to get your life organized. Small things like these add up to being happy and staying that way.
How to be happy and to stay happy is a cultivation that takes time. It cannot be overnight and it is not one that you do and forget. Take small steps, you will stumble but if you keep at it, eventually you will feel happier and stay that way longer.
Is your job search turning into a grind with no end in sight? It may be time to take a step back and reevaluate your entire approach.
In cold weather climates, the beginning of spring is a time to clean the house and get organized—a practice known as spring cleaning. Through the years, spring cleaning has taken on a larger meaning with people using the time to organize and declutter things in their lives.
For professionals on the job hunt, a little spring cleaning (metaphorically speaking) could be a great way to reinvigorate your job search. Here are a few strategies your job search spring cleaning should include.
Reevaluate Your Job Search Approach
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Make a list of the last handful of jobs you applied for and see if you can identify any positive or negative trends. Consider things like:
How did I learn about this job?
How did I apply for the job?
Did I earn an interview?
What was the ultimate result?
A lot can be learned about your job search approach just by answering these questions and identifying patterns. For example:
Negative Trends
You discovered five jobs through job boards, applied to all of them via the job boards, and never heard back from any of them.
The common pattern here is applying through job boards. This isn't to say that job boards don't serve a purpose in the job search process, but they have their limitations, and you can't run your job search entirely off of them. When you apply through a job board, there's a good chance that your materials will never get past the applicant tracking system (ATS) and never be seen by an actual person.
One simple fix is to research who the hiring manager or recruiter is that posted the position and email your materials to them directly.
The more efficient fix would be to take a proactive approach by putting together a bucket list of companies that you want to work for and start making connections on LinkedIn with people who work at those companies. You may already know some people who work there or have connections that can refer you to some individuals.
This is a great way to network your way onto a company's radar.
Positive Trends
You applied to three jobs via referral, were invited to two job interviews, and made it through multiple rounds of interviews for one of the jobs before being passed over for someone with a little more experience.
The pattern here is that getting referred to a job by a professional acquaintance is a great way to land a job interview. This indicates that you're leveraging your network well and you should continue to focus on your networking efforts.
The next step is to review the interview process and determine what went well and what needs to be improved. Sometimes the interviewer will provide feedback, and that feedback can be valuable. However, not everyone is comfortable with giving feedback.
Chances are you probably have a good idea about areas of improvement and the skills you need to gain. Put together a plan for addressing those shortfalls.
The good news in making it deep into any interview process is that it indicates that the company likes you as a potential employee (even if the timing just wasn't right) and the experience could be a roadmap to a job with that company at a later date, or another similar opportunity elsewhere.
Give Your Resume & Cover Letter Some Much-Needed Attention
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Are you continuously sending similar resumes and cover letters to each job opening with only minor adjustments? If so, your strategy needs some serious spring cleaning.
The reason why it's so important to tailor your resume is that throughout your career, you acquire numerous skills, but the job you're applying for may only be focusing on 6-8 of those skills. In that case, those skills must rise to the top of the resume with quantifiable examples of how you successfully used those skills at previous jobs.
Remember, recruiters go through hundreds of resumes. They need to be able to tell from a quick glance whether or not you're a potential candidate for the position.
While updating your resume, you could also spruce up your LinkedIn profile by highlighting the skill sets that you want to be noticed for by recruiters.
As for writing a good cover letter, the key to success is writing a disruptive cover letter. When you write a disruptive cover letter, you're basically telling a story. The story should focus on how you connect with the particular company and job position. The story could also focus on your personal journey, and how you got to where you currently are in your career.
If your resumes and cover letters aren't unique, now is the time to clean things up and get on track.
Build Your Personal Brand
Just because you're looking for work doesn't mean that you don't have anything to offer. Use previous career experiences and passions to build your personal brand.
Ask yourself, "How do I want other professionals to view me?"
Pick an area of expertise and start sharing your knowledge and experience with your professional network by pushing out content on your LinkedIn and social media accounts. Good content can include blogs, social media posts, and videos.
By sharing content about your experiences and passions, you slowly build your personal brand, and others will start to notice. The content could lead to good discussions with others in your network. It could also lead to reconnecting with connections that you haven't spoken to in years, or making new connections.
You never know when one of these connections could turn into a job lead or referral. The trick is to get on people's radars. So, when you're cleaning up your job search, be sure to build a plan for personal branding.
Maintain Healthy Habits During Your Job Search
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Your job search is important, but it's even more important to know when to pull back and focus on personal health and spending time with family and friends.
There are actually things that you can do for your own enjoyment that could help your job search in the long run, such as:
Grab coffee with a friend - It's good to engage in light conversation with friends during challenging times. And if your job search does come up, remember that most people have been through it themselves and you never know when a friend may provide you with a good idea or lead on a job.
Volunteer - Volunteering is a great way to get involved in the community and help others. In addition, if you develop a little bit of a career gap while looking for a job, you can always talk about how you filled that time volunteering, if you're asked about it during a job interview.
Continue to focus on other passions - Are you a fitness nut? Blogger? Crafter? Continue to do the things that bring you happiness. And if you're in a position to profit from your passion through a freelance job or side hustle, even better!
Spring is the perfect time to clean up and improve your job search so you can land the job you want. If you're struggling to find a job, follow the tips above to reinvigorate your job search—and watch your career blossom!
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This article was originally published at an earlier date.
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